Far from being a simple embarrassment, claustrophobia is a very painful phobia to live with and can become highly debilitating in everyday life. To heal, it’s necessary to find the cause of inner anxiety. The disorder is one of the most common phobias of our time. HOW DO WE BETTER UNDERSTAND CLAUSTROPHOBIA? […]
Posts in the Mental Health category:
Aging and The Alzheimer’s Brain: What we now know in 2019
The best known and most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s dementia (commonly known as Alzheimer’s disease). It alone accounts for around 60% to 65% of dementia cases. The Alzheimer’s brain affects only the thin outer layer of grey matter, the cortex. Because it begins in a progressively old region of the cortex involved in […]
Nosophobia: The Fear of Illness & Disease
Nosophobia (or pathophobia) is the fear of disease. This phobia is more common among men than it is among women. In general, nosophobes are afraid of contracting specific diseases – namely sexually transmitted infections (STIs), cancer, cardiovascular diseases, MS (multiple sclerosis). HOW DO YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND NOSOPHOBIA? Nosophobia (or pathophobia) is the fear of contracting […]
Understanding Agoraphobia, a fear of crowds & helplessness in the outdoors
Agoraphobia is characterized by panic in reaction to the mere idea of an uncontrollable situation involving large groups or outdoor spaces. The phobia is linked to anxiety disorders and affects nearly 3% of the population. From avoiding crowds to fearing them Fear of overcrowded or confined places, but also vast and open places is known as […]
Fear of Words: Logophobia
Logophobia has long been associated with the fear of speaking in public, but it is more precisely the fear of words themselves. By extension it’s also the fear of speaking, or fear of certain words. Words are phobogenic (the source of phobia) whether spoken, read or written. Analysis of a logophobia case: Paul, 47, deeply […]
When extreme obsessive-compulsive symptoms move from disorder to disability
By Eric Van Buskirk Many of us pick up small, comfortable habits over time that are part of strict routines. They make us feel better or add to a daily plan which makes our lives easier in small ways. For most of us, these quirky habits are comforting, reassuring even. Extreme OCD symptoms look very, […]
Understanding delusional disorder, false and impossible beliefs
Delusional disorder is a psychosis whereby irrational, false beliefs persist. Typically these over-the-top thoughts are related to grandiose, jealous, somatic, erotomaniac or persecutory behaviour. An example would be the ongoing belief that one is being followed or surveilled, despite a lack of evidence and no real reason to have the suspicion. Living with delusional disorder […]